Sins of the Father
by Buretsu
Summary: Why is Rika Nonaka the way she is? Inquiring minds want to know, namely Henry Wong. (Henrika, Jenuki)
1. Dreams of the Past

Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. I don't own Digimon or anything related to it. What did you think I was going to say?  
  
  
  
"Daddy?" Rika called, running through the halls of her house. "Daddy? Where are you?" She searched everywhere she could, trying to find her father, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Daddy?" Rika's mother, Mikino, was sitting at the table in the dining room, head in her hands, a piece of paper in front of her.  
  
"Mommy?" Rika asked, entering the room. As she did, Mikino hastily wiped her eyes, and stashed the paper onto her lap before looking at her daughter kindly.  
  
"Yes, dear?" she asked.  
  
"Mommy, where's Daddy? I can't find him!"  
  
"Your Daddy had to go away for a little while," Mikino told her daughter.  
  
"When will he be back?"  
  
"Soon, honey, soon," Mikino said, trying to hold in her tears for Rika's sake. "He'll be back soon. Soon… Soon… Soon…"  
  
******  
  
Rika woke up with a start, her mother's voice still echoing in her head. It was a seldom recurring dream of hers, forcing her to relive painful memories from her past. She hadn't known it at the time, she was only three, but now she knew that her mother had been lying. Her father had never come back, he was gone for good.  
  
A second after Rika's head shot up from the pillow, Renamon was right there in the room. Rika caught her breath with a glare at her partner.  
  
"Renamon," Rika said to her partner. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I saw you suddenly wake up," the golden fox responded. "I was worried something might be wrong."  
  
"You needn't have been," Rika replied curtly. Even though the two of them had reached an understanding after the Harpymon incident, Rika was still hesitant about opening up too much. "I'm fine."  
  
"Are you sure?" At Rika's nod, Renamon rose from her kneel.  
  
"Go get some sleep," Rika said. At Renamon's raised eyebrow, Rika added, "You never know when another Wild One might appear."  
  
"Of course," Renamon tilted her head in recognition. With one final glance around the room, she faded from sight. Rika let out a rather frustrated sigh before laying her head back on the pillow, hoping to get some sleep before school the next day.  
  
******  
  
Sleep came quickly for Rika, as did the next day. In another section of the city later that day, school was letting out, and Takato and Henry emerged from the building, comparing notes.  
  
"Do you ever wonder about Rika?" Henry said suddenly.  
  
"Well," Takato replied with a nervous chuckle. "I wonder what to do to avoid getting my butt kicked by her."  
  
"That's not exactly what I meant."  
  
"Well, what did you mean?"  
  
"What I meant was," Henry told his friend, "What makes her tick? Why is she the way she is?"  
  
"Never really thought about it," Takato admitted, "I'm, uhh, a little afraid of her."  
  
"I don't blame you man," Henry laughed. "She's not exactly the friendliest person in the world."  
  
"Tell me about it."  
  
"But, why?" Henry asked. "That's what I can't figure out."  
  
"Why are you getting so worked up about it?" Takato asked. "Do you like her or something?" When Henry didn't answer immediately, Takato continued, "Do you?"  
  
"I don't know," Henry said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's just that we don't really know much about her besides that she's the Digimon Queen. I'd like to change that."  
  
"It's none of my business," Takato replied, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace. "But, personally, I'd rather go for a normal girl."  
  
"And Jeri's normal… how?"  
  
"Funny," Takato said wryly, looking up at the clock on the building. "Aww nuts! I'm gonna be late for detention!" Miss Isaji had caught him doodling in class again, and he had to run back into the building.  
  
"See ya!" Henry called to his friend's back before heading off to the park. Who knows, maybe Rika would be there.  
  
******  
  
Renamon and Rika were already there in a secluded spot of the park. Her back against a tree, Rika watched and supervised as Renamon went through her usual paces. The fox Digimon was in one of her martial arts routines, launching kicks and punches at opponents who weren't really there. Rika watched her partner's smooth, graceful motions smugly. Renamon's speed and agility were unmatched by that of any other Rookie Digimon, especially those of Goggle-head and co., a fact that pleased her greatly.  
  
Finishing her motions, Renamon held her final pose and looked over to Rika. The girl's eyes were closed, and her chest was rising and falling slowly. Renamon chuckled, the girl was asleep, but she still held the pose, for no other reason than because she could.  
  
******  
  
"Momma, what's this?" Rika asked, holding up an envelope she had found while rummaging through some old storage boxes in the garage. Written on the front was her mother's name.  
  
"What's what, honey?" Mikino asked, busy in another part of the house.  
  
"A letter!" Rika called back, opening up the envelope and removing a piece of paper from it. "It's from Daddy!" She started to read the letter.  
  
"Dearest Mikino,  
  
"By the time you read this, I'll be gone, and I'm sorry to say that I won't be back. Ever. I'm truly sorry about this, but it's for the best.  
  
"What happened two days ago only confirmed what I've felt for a while now. Two days ago, our daughter was crying her eyes out onto your shoulder because I couldn't find the right thing to say to her. It was at that moment that I realized that I didn't really know how to be a good husband or father.  
  
"Don't think I'm leaving because I stopped loving you, or our daughter, because I love both of you, with all my heart. Rather, it's because I love you that I'm walking away. I don't deserve such a loving wife or beautiful young girl. I'm a terrible father, and you deserve so much better than what I can give you.  
  
"Tell Rika that I will always love her, no matter what. I only wish I could be around to see the beautiful young lady that I have no doubt she will become. All my best."  
  
The unsigned letter fell from Rika's hand, floating gently to the floor. She turned and looks up at her mother, silhouetted in the doorway, tears blurring her vision.  
  
******  
  
For the second time in as many days, Rika woke up with a sudden jolt, the contents of the letter burned forever in the back of her mind. She fought the sudden rise of anger she felt, remembering the deception on her mother's part. Mikino had always said that, one day soon, her father would return. Until she had found the letter that day, she had believed it to be the truth.  
  
Shaking her head to clear it of the last traces of sleep, Rika looked over at Renamon, still in her final position, and put the latest bad dream out of her thoughts.  
  
"Have you been like that the entire time?" Rika asked, surprised. Renamon nodded, and Rika smiled. "Good. You can take a short break while I get a drink."  
  
Renamon tilted her head in agreement and sat on the ground, curling into the lotus position. There, she closed her eyes and began to meditate. Rika's smugly happy smirk returned to her face as she went to the fountain, and splashed some water on her face, as if to wash away the tears from six years ago.  
  
"Oh, hello Rika," somebody said from behind Rika. She turned around with a glare for Henry.  
  
"Oh, what do you want?" Rika asked, irritated. She had neither the time nor the desire to deal with him now.  
  
"Nothing," Henry shrugged. "Just thought I'd say hey."  
  
"Then say it and go," Rika replied, her hands on her hips. "And if you want nothing, I think I saw some over there."  
  
Henry chuckled, causing Rika to narrow her eyes. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Oh," Henry responded, "Nothing."  
  
"I don't have time for this," Rika grumbled, shaking her head.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"Even if there was," the girl said, turning her back, "Quite frankly, it's none of your business." With that she walked away, leaving Henry to stare at her retreating back.  
  
"Man," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "What is her deal, anyway?"  
  
"Do you really want to know?" Renamon asked, appearing suddenly and causing Henry to jump.  
  
"Actually," Henry responded once he had gotten his heart rate back under control, "I really do."  
  
"Hmm," Renamon uttered. "Why?"  
  
The question caught Henry completely off-guard. His mouth opened and closed several times as rejected a number of possible answers.  
  
"Well, I just want to get to know her better."  
  
"Hmm," Renamon repeated. "Good luck."  
  
Renamon disappeared just as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving Henry standing by himself once again.  
  
"They're both crazy," he chuckled. That just made it more interesting.  
  
******  
  
"So," Rika asked once she and Renamon had left the park. "What were the two of you talking about?"  
  
"Oh, you know," Renamon replied, an amused look on her face. "This and that."  
  
"You wouldn't be talking about me behind my back, would you?"  
  
"Perish the thought!" Renamon said, putting up her hands in mock horror.  
  
"Good. That's the last thing I need. Honestly, that boy's as bad as Goggle-head sometimes."  
  
"Only sometimes?" Renamon raised one eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah. Usually he's worse."  
  
Softly, Renamon began to laugh, shoulders shaking with mirth. Rika shot her a death look.  
  
"What's that for?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.  
  
"Humans," Renamon laughed. Always making things so complicated.  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Nothing," Renamon said, her face the picture of innocence.  
  
"Forget it," Rika sighed. "Let's just head-"  
  
She was interrupted by the sound of her digivice going off. It could only mean one thing.  
  
"Another fight," Rika said, a smirk coming across her face. "Let's do this." 


	2. Of Fights and Fears

"Bye Guilmon!" Takato called back. "See you later, Henry!"  
  
"Bye-bye!" Guilmon called after his partner.  
  
"Later!" Henry called as Terriermon jumped onto his usual perch on the boy's head.  
  
"So, where to now, boss?" the digimon asked.  
  
"Let's just head home," Henry replied.  
  
"As long as you promise to hide me from Suzie," Terriermon said with a shiver.  
  
"Can it really be all that bad?"  
  
"Depends. You like wearing dresses?"  
  
"You know the answer to that."  
  
"Right. 'Only on weekends when nobody else is home.'" Terriermon quipped.  
  
"Funny," Henry said. "Maybe we should pick up a brand new pink dress for 'Princess Pretty Pants' on the way home?"  
  
"Uhh, point taken."  
  
"Thought so. Let's just head home."  
  
A loud beeping from Henry's waist derailed their plans, his digivice reacting to a new Digimon.  
  
"Looks like Suzie is going to have to wait," Terriermon said happily.  
  
"Let's go," Henry said running off in the direction his digivice pointed.  
  
******  
  
Rika stepped through the fog of the digital field into the clearing inside where the latest enemy would be found. Renamon appeared beside her, keen eyes scanning the area. Off in the distance a sound could be heard getting steadily louder, a manic giggling.  
  
"There he is," Renamon said, glaring at a rapidly moving streak in the distance. Her eyes glowed with a strange light and data appeared on Rika's digivice.  
  
"Looks like it's Mamemon," Rika read. "Data type. His Smiley Bomb attack is anything but."  
  
"He's an Ultimate," Renamon said with a slight gasp.  
  
"Not a very strong one though," Rika said, thinking back to its card. "A couple of cards and he's toast. Trust me."  
  
"I always do," Renamon responded, leaping forward to start the fight.  
  
Soon, even Rika could see the miniscule Ultimate, barely bigger than Renamon's upper body. She could see it, that is, until she blinked and it was gone, moving in a rapid blur of motion. Renamon stood in a ring of blurred movement as Mamemon circled around for openings. The circle became a semi-circle as Mamemon charged at Renamon's back.  
  
"Right!" Rika shouted, causing Renamon to roll to her right, avoiding the attack. Renamon frantically twisted her head, trying to keep her eye on the manic Digimon. She ducked under a second charge, and rolled left to avoid another.  
  
"He's too fast for me!" Renamon called out to her Tamer, dodging another strike.  
  
"We'll just have to even things up a little then, won't we?"  
  
Rika reached into the cardholder clipped to her belt, automatically selecting the right card. "Digimodify! Hyper Sonic Activate! Show that thing what you're made of!"  
  
For Renamon, everything seemed to slow down as the card took effect, including Mamemon, and she was able to make out the Digimon through the blur. Turning towards where Mamemon wasn't, she pushed forward, extending a leg in a jumping kick. As she predicted, Mamemon arrived at the same time her foot did.  
  
Rika watched with satisfaction as Mamemon was sent flying through a tree and into the ground. "Yes! Now, while it's stunned!"  
  
Renamon nodded, leaping high into the air and crossing her arms in front of her. "Diamond Sto-" "Smiley Bomb!"  
  
Rika's look of satisfaction turned into one of horror as a red energy ball shot from the crater Mamemon was in, impacting with Renamon's chest. With a cry of pain, Renamon was knocked out of midair and landed in a heap on the ground. Rika cursed as she realized she had underestimated her opponent.  
  
With a sudden blast of dirt, Mamemon shot out from the hole and hovered, powering up another attack. "Smiley!"  
  
Rika quickly reached to her cards again, ready to pull out the next one, when another voice sounded. "Bunny Pummel!"  
  
A gun-arm, blazing with energy, slammed into Mamemon, sending it falling. After a second shot, Mamemon flew backwards, carving a great rut in the ground as it slid backwards.  
  
"You all right, Renamon?" Gargomon asked, landing next to the golden fox.  
  
"I've received worse than that," she replied, getting back into a fighting stance.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Rika asked angrily, turning towards Henry who had just arrived.  
  
"Just providing a little backup," Henry responded.  
  
"I never asked for backup, and I don't need it."  
  
"I know," Henry shrugged. "I just thought I'd watch your back anyway."  
  
"Just don't get in my way," Rika warned Henry, pulling out a card. "Renamon! Let's kick it up!" "With pleasure!" "Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!" "Renamon digivolve to…"  
  
An egg of energy surrounded Renamon as her external layer of data peeled away and her core shifted to that of her Champion form. The external data reformatted and reattached itself. The egg burst apart revealing "Kyubimon!"  
  
Mamemon put his fists together in front of him charging up another attack. "Smiley Bomb!" A glowing ball of energy streaked towards Kyubimon, but the fox beast spread her tails in a fan behind her, calling out "Fox Tail Inferno!"  
  
Several fireballs flew outwards, deflecting the energy ball harmlessly away. The remaining flames surrounded Mamemon, striking him on all sides.  
  
"Did you get him?" Gargomon asked, guns trained on the cloud of dust and flame in the air. In answer to his question, the flame burst apart as Mamemon spread his arms. Before either of them could react, Mamemon launched himself towards the two Champions. Kyubimon dodged out of the way and Mamemon crashed into Gargomon, engaging the gun bunny in a test of strength.  
  
"There," Rika said, narrowing her eyes, at the same time Henry did. Both had spotted the opening. "Digimodify! Power Charger!"  
  
"Dragon Wheel!" Kyubimon called, rolling into a ball of blue flame. A dragonhead spun out the back and launched at Mamemon, engulfing the Ultimate in mystic fire. Gargomon ducked his head backwards as the attack passed dangerously close to him. With a howl of pain, Mamemon burst into a cloud of data, which rapidly dissipated, along with the digital field.  
  
"Told you I didn't need backup," Rika told Henry when it was all over.  
  
"Never thought you did," Henry replied.  
  
"Then why are you even here?"  
  
"Believe it or not," Henry said, "there are actually people out there who care about what happens to you."  
  
"Hmmph," Rika grunted, turning her back on Henry. "Kyubimon! Let's go."  
  
As Kyubimon passed by Henry, her eye met the boy's for a second before moving on. The look she had given Henry was one of curious interest. Henry shook his head as Gargomon stepped up to his side.  
  
"Umm, what was that about?"  
  
"It's complicated," Henry offered as a response. "Let's just go home, okay?"  
  
"Oooookay."  
  
Henry walked home in silence, thinking about what had happened and ignoring the looks Gargomon was giving him. Things were getting interesting.  
  
******  
  
"Urrrgh!" Rika grumbled once she was back home. She was pacing around her room, going over the events of the night. "What's that guy's deal, anyway?"  
  
"It seems to me," Renamon replied, arms crossed, "that he considers you to be a friend."  
  
"Why?" Rika asked, stopping her pacing.  
  
"Because, from what I've seen, humans seem to need friends," Renamon answered, watching her Tamer closely.  
  
"I've made it pretty far without them."  
  
"You have more friends than you think," Renamon pointed out.  
  
"You can't mean Goggle-head," Rika said, as if the very idea was ridiculous.  
  
"Him," Renamon agreed. "Henry. Me."  
  
"Ha!" Rika laughed. "People only become your friend because they want something. Once they get it, they leave."  
  
"I didn't leave."  
  
"You didn't get what you wanted yet."  
  
"Why are you so cynical about friendship?"  
  
"Experience," Rika replied with a scoff. "I've seen what happens when you let someone get too close and they leave. I'm not about to let that happen to me."  
  
"So, you're letting one bad experience ruin any future chances for a relationship?" Renamon asked, one eyebrow raised. "What sense does that make?"  
  
"You wouldn't understand," Rika told her partner, turning her head away.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"You haven't been in the Real World long enough to know how the human mind works."  
  
"Well then," Renamon said, "Maybe you should find someone who's been in the Real World all his life."  
  
"Like Henry, you mean," Rika summarized with a sneer.  
  
"There are worse choices," Renamon answered. "Maybe you should accept his interest in you at face value?"  
  
"I've seen too many faces turn out to be nothing more than masks."  
  
"It sounds like nothing I say can convince you, Rika," Renamon said sadly, "so I'll just leave you with this. If there's one thing I've learned from my time in the Real World, it's that life can get really sad when you don't have any friends."  
  
Rika opened her mouth to answer, but Renamon was already gone. Instead she closed it with another "Hmmph." Changing her clothes, Rika settled into bed to sleep, the topic of friendship still heavy on her mind.  
  
******  
  
Rika's eyes fluttered open several hours later and she struggled to remember what had happened the previous night. All she could remember was opening up her heart and mine to Henry, and the warm, gentle comfort that he had provided. She sat up on the couch she had slept on and looked around for the boy, but there was nobody else in the room.  
  
"Henry?" Rika asked. "You here?"  
  
Getting up, Rika started searching for Henry, checking all the places where he could be. The only other being she found was Renamon.  
  
"Oh, Renamon," Rika said, watching as the fox hastily slid something into one glove. "Have you seen Henry?"  
  
"He told me he had to leave," Renamon warmly told the girl.  
  
"Where?" Rika wondered. "Did he say when's he gonna be back?"  
  
"Soon," Renamon answered. "He'll be back soon. Soon."  
  
******  
  
Once again, Rika's head shot up off her pillow, breathing heavily. It was another dream, the third one in two days. And, just like last night, Renamon was there in the room in an instant.  
  
"Another bad dream?" she asked.  
  
"No," Rika told her partner. "I just... suddenly remembered something. Nothing to worry about."  
  
"Of course," Renamon said, bowing her head slightly before vanishing once again.  
  
'It wasn't a bad dream,' Rika thought to herself. 'More like a warning.' 


End file.
